Definition
A unit of vertical speed expressing how many feet of altitude an aircraft gains or loses in one minute. On the Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI), the needle displays the current rate of climb or descent in fpm, with positive values indicating a climb and negative values indicating a descent.
Plain English
How many feet up or down the aircraft is moving each minute. If you climb 500 feet in one minute, your vertical speed is 500 fpm.
Context Anchor
Seen on the vertical speed indicator and in climb or descent discussions during instrument flying.
Why Pilots Care
It shows the exact rate of climb or descent needed to maintain altitude, follow assigned clearances, or execute instrument approaches.
Analogy
It is like miles per hour for a car, but turned upright: instead of showing how fast you move forward, fpm shows how fast you move up or down.
Grounding Statement
If the aircraft is climbing at 500 fpm and holds that rate for one minute, it will gain about 500 feet.
Intuition Check
Feet per minute does not mean the aircraft’s altitude. It means the rate at which the altitude is changing.
Example Sentence 1
ATC instructed the pilot to expedite the climb at no less than 1,000 fpm until reaching 8,000 feet.